Blog Post:Last week’s exclusive content on CMO.com focused on many of the challenges and changes marketers will face in 2016. As digitisation becomes increasingly more important to reaching consumers who are immersed in a digital world, brands will face challenges in how to best approach new technology. Many companies still face the challenge of making the shift to digital, and this often involves both the inherent hesitation to adopt something new and the varying perceptions different team members bring to the table. Overall, 2016 looks to be an exciting time for marketing innovation.
Beginning the week, Dave Chaffey, Digital Marketing Author, Consultant, and Trainer with Smart Insights, outlined some important considerations for digital marketing, especially as an organisation strives to keep ahead of the competition. Chaffey discussed the growing role of the chief digital officer position in many organisations that are going through digital transformation. He shared a report that found that companies who didn’t employ a dedicated digital transformation officer were at a competitive disadvantage. Chaffey also shared some important information about compliance with EGDR as well as some of the more significant platform changes for 2016 that marketers need to discuss.
Peter Markey, CMO of UK Post Office, shared the recent trend of brands relying less on agencies and doing more of their marketing in-house. This has been the result of companies having more control over their own data and analysis. In the U.S., according to the Association of National Advertisers, the number of brands with in-house agencies rose from 16% in 2008 to 58% in 2013. The benefits of moving away from outsourcing for brands means budget savings as well as a closer connection to customers. Markey shared the way agencies are taking up more of a consultant role in order to maintain relevance.
Another important consideration for marketers in 2016 is the public’s increasing interest in virtual reality. Henry Stuart, CEO of VR production company Visualise, believes that 2016 will be the year that gamers break the barriers to other consumers adopting the technology. VR’s appeal for marketers lies in the ability to connect with consumers and transporting them into a whole new experience. Many brands, such as the New York Times and London’s Natural History Museum, have been experimenting with VR to test the possible benefits. However, how to best approach marketing in VR will be a test of time.
Last week’s CMO.com interview with Jeremy Basset, head of Unilever Foundry, focused on his company’s role in pioneering the future in marketing. Basset discussed the rapid rate of change in the marketing and advertising sectors and how Unilever Foundry was born as a way to keep ahead and put startups at the heart of the company’s innovation. The company works with brands to discover problems brands are trying to solve, then they look to find innovative startups to help address those problems. Basset shared many of the lessons his company has learned through this process.
The week ended with Ross Sleight, Chief Strategy Officer at Somo who referenced a piece of research from Adobe based on survey results from marketing and IT decision makers into how they’re using mobile today. The report highlighted the need to embrace the adoption of mobile but Sleight goes further in saying that mobile needs to be at the heart of a company’s brand structure. Many companies are still navigating the digital transformation waters and internal friction is often a significant challenge. Sleight encourages the different teams within an organisation to be in constant dialogue and develop a shared vision for mobile strategy.
We’re deep in the planning stages for Adobe Summit EMEA 2016. Once again I’ll be managing the Marketing Innovations Track. We had some remarkable speakers last year and are looking for talented individuals to join us in May to “inspire the audience, spark creativity, and drive innovation” by sharing their insights and experiences in helping their organisations achieve marketing success. If you’d like to speak at the Marketing Innovations Track this year or nominate someone else to speak, please email me.
We hope you’ll take some time to read and engage with our exclusive content on CMO.com and please let us know what you think.
Author:Simon Morris
Date Created:3 February 2016
Date Published:3 February 2016
Headline:CMO.com Highlights – 2016, an Exciting Time for Marketing Innovation
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Publisher:Adobe
Image:https://blogs.adobe.com/digitaleurope/files/2016/02/Innovation.jpg

CMO.com Highlights – 2016, an Exciting Time for Marketing Innovation

Last week’s exclusive content on CMO.com focused on many of the challenges and changes marketers will face in 2016. As digitisation becomes increasingly more important to reaching consumers who are immersed in a digital world, brands will face challenges in how to best approach new technology. Many companies still face the challenge of making the shift to digital, and this often involves both the inherent hesitation to adopt something new and the varying perceptions different team members bring to the table. Overall, 2016 looks to be an exciting time for marketing innovation.

Beginning the week, Dave Chaffey, Digital Marketing Author, Consultant, and Trainer with Smart Insights, outlined some important considerations for digital marketing, especially as an organisation strives to keep ahead of the competition. Chaffey discussed the growing role of the chief digital officer position in many organisations that are going through digital transformation. He shared a report that found that companies who didn’t employ a dedicated digital transformation officer were at a competitive disadvantage. Chaffey also shared some important information about compliance with EGDR as well as some of the more significant platform changes for 2016 that marketers need to discuss.

Peter Markey, CMO of UK Post Office, shared the recent trend of brands relying less on agencies and doing more of their marketing in-house. This has been the result of companies having more control over their own data and analysis. In the U.S., according to the Association of National Advertisers, the number of brands with in-house agencies rose from 16% in 2008 to 58% in 2013. The benefits of moving away from outsourcing for brands means budget savings as well as a closer connection to customers. Markey shared the way agencies are taking up more of a consultant role in order to maintain relevance.

Another important consideration for marketers in 2016 is the public’s increasing interest in virtual reality. Henry Stuart, CEO of VR production company Visualise, believes that 2016 will be the year that gamers break the barriers to other consumers adopting the technology. VR’s appeal for marketers lies in the ability to connect with consumers and transporting them into a whole new experience. Many brands, such as the New York Times and London’s Natural History Museum, have been experimenting with VR to test the possible benefits. However, how to best approach marketing in VR will be a test of time.

Last week’s CMO.com interview with Jeremy Basset, head of Unilever Foundry, focused on his company’s role in pioneering the future in marketing. Basset discussed the rapid rate of change in the marketing and advertising sectors and how Unilever Foundry was born as a way to keep ahead and put startups at the heart of the company’s innovation. The company works with brands to discover problems brands are trying to solve, then they look to find innovative startups to help address those problems. Basset shared many of the lessons his company has learned through this process.

The week ended with Ross Sleight, Chief Strategy Officer at Somo who referenced a piece of research from Adobe based on survey results from marketing and IT decision makers into how they’re using mobile today. The report highlighted the need to embrace the adoption of mobile but Sleight goes further in saying that mobile needs to be at the heart of a company’s brand structure. Many companies are still navigating the digital transformation waters and internal friction is often a significant challenge. Sleight encourages the different teams within an organisation to be in constant dialogue and develop a shared vision for mobile strategy.

We’re deep in the planning stages for Adobe Summit EMEA 2016. Once again I’ll be managing the Marketing Innovations Track. We had some remarkable speakers last year and are looking for talented individuals to join us in May to “inspire the audience, spark creativity, and drive innovation” by sharing their insights and experiences in helping their organisations achieve marketing success. If you’d like to speak at the Marketing Innovations Track this year or nominate someone else to speak, please email me.

We hope you’ll take some time to read and engage with our exclusive content on CMO.com and please let us know what you think.

Simon Morris

Simon Morris is director of demand marketing at Adobe Systems for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and is responsible for driving awareness and demand for both the Adobe Marketing Cloud and Creative Cloud. Working closely with his counterparts in North America, Simon has built a Centre of Excellence in EMEA for Search, Media and Email leveraging multiple solutions within the Adobe Marketing Cloud. Simon is also responsible for the European editorial strategy for CMO.com, where his work has helped build one of the strongest branded content platforms on the Web today, creating a valuable resource for marketing leaders across all industries.
Prior to joining Adobe, Simon was vice president of global marketing at ClickSoftware, the leading global provider of service and mobile workforce management solutions. In this role, Simon was responsible for building the global marketing strategy across the entire marketing mix and was also part of the leadership team that led the company through a successful IPO.